Wednesday, October 23, 2013

CIA, NSA and "the Family Jewels"

On Monday, October 28, 2013, at 4:00 p.m. the Washington History Seminar on Historical Perspectives on International and National Affairs convenes to hear The Family Jewels Then and Now, by John Prados of the National Security Archive and George Washington University.

The famous 1970s investigations of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) conducted by the Church Committee and others followed leaks of information from the intelligence agencies revealing activities that were illegal or abusive under the CIA's charter. The CIA secretly compiled a document known as "The Family Jewels" detailing the abuses. This season of inquiry resulted in the intelligence oversight system that exists today. Now a fresh set of leaks confronts Americans, revealing widespread eavesdropping by the National Security Agency (NSA). What is the proper response to these revelations?

John Prados is a senior fellow of the National Security Archive. He leads the Archive's CIA project, which has recently released a collection of materials documenting agency covert operations. Prados holds a PhD in Political Science (International Relations) from Columbia University and is the author of more than twenty books, including The Family Jewels: The CIA, Secrecy, and Presidential Power (University of Texas Press, 2013).

The session will also include a Report from the Field by Thomas S. Blanton of the National Security Archive. It will take place at the Woodrow Wilson Center, 6th Floor Moynihan Boardroom, Ronald Reagan Building, Federal Triangle Metro Stop, Washington, DC. Reservations requested because of limited seating: mbarber@historians.org or 202-450-3209. A photo ID is required for admittance to the building.